Improvement in fruit-gatherers



JOSEPH LANE.

Improvement in Fruit Gatherers.

Patented Feb. 27, I872.

Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT O EIcE.

JOSEPH LANE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

I IMPROVEMENT IN FRUlT-GATHERERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,000, dated February 27, 1872; antedated February 10, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

I, J osEPH LANE, of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Device or Implement for GatheringVegetables or Fruits, of which the following is a full description, referencebeing had to the accompanping drawing with the handle, and in providing such back-' plate with curved teeth in front and straight teeth or open-work around the balance of the margin of the back-plate.

To enable, others skilled in the art to make and use the same, I will describe it with reference to the drawing, in which A is the back-plate; B, an eye or goose-neck for attaching the handle O, the curved front teeth; and D, the straight teeth around the margin. The back-plate A is made of platesteel, malleable east-iron, or other suitable material; and, if preferred, it may be made with perforations or openings to facilitate the passage of dirt, &c. The curvedteeth G aremade of steel or other suitable material. and are made from four to twelve inches in length and set about three-fourths of one inch apart, the distance to be regulated by the nature of the required service and for some purposes it maybe found best to make the teeth 0 straight and the teeth D curved. The marginal teeth D may be made of iron or other suitable material, and are usually made straight. They may, however, be made curved, if desired and they are made to gradually diminish in length from the curved front teeth to the eye or neck B, as shown, and are set about the same distance apart as the others. A straight handle is applied, and in use the person stands erect so as to bring the teeth O nearly horizontal, using just suflicient incline to bring the teeth under the vegetables or fruit, and when as many are gathered as the device will conveniently hold it is lifted into the position shown at Fig. 1, when, if it is found to contain dirt or leaves, it is shaken till they pass out, when the remaining contents are deposited in a basket, wagon or other receptacle.

By the use of this implement or device vegetables or fruits can be gathered rapidly and without stooping.

The teeth D may be inserted by suitable screw-threads, or by screw and nut; or they may be attached to a separate plate or a segment, so as to be detachable together.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein-described implement, consisting of the plate A, provided with the teeth 0 D, and the socket or tang B, constructed and arranged to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH LANE.

Witnesses:

L. L. BOND, O. W. BoNn. 

